Good Policy Requires Good Data

When it comes to making decisions aimed at enhancing the lives of children, policy makers are missing a vital resource: strong state-level data. One answer? The National Survey of Children’s Health, which offers quick, clear state-level statistics on a wide range of child wellness factors. Readers will learn about this survey, why it’s so great and how it must to grow to realize its full potential as a tool for helping child welfare programs and policies succeed.

Key Takeaway

States can use child wellness data to pinpoint which programs aren’t working, which ones need fixing and which strategies are straight out-of-the gate successes. Such data-driven work means enhanced outcomes for children at a cost savings to taxpayers — and a rare win-win for policy makers.

Findings & Stats

An Immense Influence

When it comes to children, the role that state governments play is a powerful one. In fact, states are responsible for allocating two out of every three dollars spent on America’s youngest citizens.

Deficient Data

Policy experts are struggling to make informed decisions with today’s state-level data. Why? For starters, this data is often incomplete, inaccessible and difficult to use. Equally concerning: It doesn’t always reflect the well-being of children statewide and is lopsidedly focused on negative factors.

About the National Survey of Children’s Health

The National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) takes a comprehensive snapshot of children’s lives by examining factors related to their health, safety, education, social and emotional well being, family environment, extracurricular activities, neighborhood characteristics and economic security. Data collection occurs every four years and yields timely, user-friendly results, including statistics on all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia.

Changes Ahead?

Lawmakers are looking to make the NSCH an annual event — and grow the range of questions it asks. This is a smart move, say experts, who support the survey’s expansion as a cost-effective way to bolster state-level data.

Making a Case for Continuous Data Collection

Some of the many advantages to making the NSCH an annual event include: 1) a capacity to track swift changes in child outcomes following a systemic shock; 2) the creation of a permanent (and thus more efficient) survey team; and 3) faster feedback to help gauge the impact of new and existing initiatives.

Statements & Quotations

Good policy decisions require good data, but state policy makers often have had little or no data to guide their work.

National data simply do not provide adequate guidance for state policymakers.